John Elway swings at the pitch during the batting practice before the 1998 All Star Celebrity Home Run Derby at Coors Field on July 6, 1998, in Denver. (Brian Bahr, Getty Images)

Broncos’ general manager John Elway has been elected into the New York Penn League’s Hall of Fame, along with pitcher Randy Johnson and statistician Charlie Wride.

Elway is better known as a former Stanford quarterback who became the No. 1 overall pick of the Baltimore Colts in the 1983 NFL Draft and was soon traded to the Denver Broncos, where he went on to have a Pro Football Hall of Fame career.

But before earning money through football, Elway was selected in the second round of the 1981 Major League Baseball draft as a left-handed hitting outfielder for the New York Yankees. In 1982, the summer between his junior and senior seasons at Stanford, Elway played for the Oneonta Yankees of the Class A New York Penn League. He hit .318 with four homers, 25 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 45 games.

Former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan gives his speech during the NFL Class of 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Fawcett Stadium on Aug. 2, 2014 in Canton, Ohio. (Jason Miller, Getty Images)

John Fox will coach his Broncos by day and become a fan in the stands of Canton, Ohio by night.

After leading his Broncos through their Summer Scrimmage today at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Fox will fly to Canton, Ohio and attend the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony as guest of former New York Giants’ defensive end Michael Strahan.

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning was voted the NFL’s top player by his peers, ahead of Lions’ receiver Calvin Johnson. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

History reaches beyond days on the calendar. It makes its way into highlight films and into opinions. After a 10-week reveal, a single thought prevailed in the Top 100 NFL Network countdown: Peyton Manning is the league’s best player, according to his peers.

The Broncos’ media relations staff headed by Patrick Smyth and bolstered by Rebecca Villanueva and Erich Schubert was given the Pete Rozelle Award on Friday as voted on by the Pro Football Writers Association.

The honor is given to the NFL club public relations staff that consistently strives for excellence in its dealings and relationships with the media.

“With Peyton in Denver it sort of made it the epicenter of the NFL,” said Sam Farmer, national NFL writer for the Los Angeles Times. “Is it too much to say Denver is one of the hot spots of the sports world? The Broncos’ PR staff consistently comes through when it has to be besieged with requests.”

Think of all the Broncos’ media relations staff had to deal with in 2013:

Here’s one big piece of precedent that bodes well for the Broncos against Seattle in the Super Bowl:

In the past 13 Super Bowls, eight MVPs have been quarterbacks. That means (not surprisingly in today’s NFL) that the QB most often most-affects the outcome of the title game.

In the case of the Broncos, that should be good news. There aren’t many metrics that put Seattle’s Russell Wilson ahead of Peyton Manning. Other than rushing yards, Manning is well ahead of Wilson statistically.

Manning topped the list in both categories. When asked what player would be best to start a team, Manning got 62 votes (19 percent). Andrew Luck, the QB who replaced Manning in Indianapolis, was second with 56 votes, and Patriots QB Tom Brady, whom Manning will duel against in Sunday’s AFC title game, was third with 41 votes.

Manning got even more votes as the NFL’s most-respected player. Eighty-six players (27 percent) chose Manning, followed by Brady and Vikings running back Adrian Peterson who tied for second with 24 votes each.

Peyton Manning led the Broncos to the NFL’s single-season scoring record. (Getty Images)

With a 63-yard TD pass to Demaryius Thomas, the Broncos set the NFL’s single-season scoring record on Sunday against the Raiders. The second-quarter pass pushed the Broncos past the 2007 Patriots for the best-ever mark. The top six scoring teams all-time:

With 10 days to mull over their loss to San Diego, the Broncos seemed to move on after their mini-bye leading up to their trip to Houston. With Peyton Manning being recognized with a somewhat prestigious honor and no new injuries to worry about, the team shouldn’t have had too much to complain about, especially considering they face two losing teams to end the regular season.

Monday: The Broncos had what they called a “bonus” practice on Monday; usually, the team just has meetings, but with no Sunday game, it was able to get out there on the field. Peyton Manning, Wes Welker (concussion), Kayvon Webster (thumb) and Derek Wolfe (illness) sat out the practice.

Manning was also honored as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year, an honor that was announced Sunday night. Sports Illustrated editor Chris Stone was on hand at Dove Valley to discuss the honor, and a dinner was held for Manning Monday night. Also, if you don’t take the time to read Lee Jenkins’ story about Manning, on the cover of this week’s issue, you’re bananas.

Peyton Manning accepted his Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year honors on Monday night. You’ve certainly heard plenty about the award already, but if you’re inclined to watch Manning’s speech, check it out on SI.com.

Here’s a quick transcript of some of his remarks:

On what it meant to enter the fraternity of winners of the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year award:
“It’s really hard to describe in words. When I saw the former list of winners — Roger Bannister being the first winner — Arnold Palmer certainly jumped out. I never thought I’d win the same award as Stan ‘The Man’ Musial and not to mention the great list of football players (and) Billie Jean King. It’s really special that just a couple years ago my good friend, Coach Pat Summitt, won it, so good to have some University of Tennessee blood. It’s a tremendous honor. I’m not sure I deserve it and am worthy of it but I gratefully accept this special honor.”

I had two immediate thoughts upon learning Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning had been named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year.

One, I was surprised he hadn’t previously been so honored. He’s won just about everything else in his terrific career — including a Super Bowl MVP, by the way — with the notable exception of the Heisman Trophy. And besides his brilliance as an NFL quarterback, Manning has such mass appeal. No athlete is better in commercials or as a host on “Saturday Night Live.”

But my second thought was, why this year when Manning has yet to win a championship? Not that S.I. always give its franchise award to champions, but it usually does. LeBron James won it last year. Drew Brees (2010), Tom Brady (2005), Joe Montana (1990) and Terry Bradshaw (1979) were coming off Super Bowl championships in the years they were honored.

The Broncos announced Friday that they’ve selected running back Knowshon Moreno as their 2013 Ed Block Courage Award winner. Running backs coach Eric Studesville will also be recognized by the Ed Block Courage Foundation for overcoming personal adversity.

The Ed Block Courage Award is given to players who exemplify commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage. Moreno, after tearing his ACL in 2011 and injuring his knee in the Broncos’ lone playoff game last season, has rebounded from his injuries to start all 12 games for the Broncos in 2013. On the season, he has 202 rushes for 842 yards and nine rushing touchdowns along with 42 catches for 414 yards and two receiving touchdowns.

After his four-touchdown, 174-yard afternoon in Kansas City Sunday, Eric Decker has been named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 13. Decker’s four touchdowns in the Broncos’ 35-28 win were a franchise record, and three of his scores came in the second half of the game as the Broncos overcame an early 14-point deficit.

Decker’s four receiving touchdowns tied Cincinnati’s Marvin Jones for the most by a player in the NFL this season, and they’re the highest total in a road game in more than six years. The last player to score four touchdowns in a road game was Randy Moss with the Patriots in 2007.

Decker is the third Bronco to garner Offensive Player of the Week honors this season. Peyton Manning earned the recognition in Weeks 1 and 3, Demaryius Thomas in Week 10.

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Wesley Woodyard (52) tries to get the Broncos fans up and loud as the San Diego Chargers are on defense during the second quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. (Photo by John Leyba, The Denver Post)

Wesley Woodyard was named the Denver Broncos Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year on Wednesday. The award recognizes players for outstanding leadership on and off the field.

It is the third time the linebacker has been honored. The Broncos gave him the award in 2010 and 2011.

According to the team, Woodyard has helped a variety of community projects and organizations, including Hometown Huddle, Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver and the Denver Rescue Mission.

From the Denver Broncos:

Woodyard’s nonprofit, the 16Ways Foundation, has an enormous impact on at-risk youth and hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including an MVP Dinner, multiple youth football camps and Touchdowns for Tomorrow Trivia Night. 16Ways Foundation is also scheduled to host its annual toy drive in December to benefit local charities, including the Tennyson Center for abused and neglected children.

The Broncos also recognized safety Mike Adams, safety David Bruton, guard Ben Garland, tight end Virgil Green and linebacker Steven Johnson as their community ambassadors.

Late-night television host Jimmy Fallon put his spin on this weekend’s most talked-about football game by issuing some in-season awards for players on the two teams, based mostly on some less-than-flattering mug shots. Hint: these awards include “Most Like to Look Like a Funhouse Mirror Version of Himself,” “Most Likely to Have Graduated to Gerber Stage Three” and “Most Sober Rob Ford.” Give it a watch. You’ll laugh.

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Manning has accrued 654,309 votes, and Saints quarterback Drew Brees has the next most, with 540,036. Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (453,761 votes), Lions receiver Calvin Johnson (449,346 votes) and Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (443,533 votes) comprise the rest of the top five vote-getters.

The NFL also released the leading vote-getters by position, and two Broncos in addition to Manning made that list: guard Zane Beadles (108,105 votes) and special teamer David Bruton (75,118 votes).

The Pro Bowl will be played Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014 — the Sunday before the Super Bowl — and televised on NBC at 5 p.m. MT from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. In a new twist, players will be assigned to teams during the first-ever Pro Bowl Draft, which the NFL Network will air live during the week before the game. The NFC will no longer play the AFC in this format, as the draft will render conference affiliation will be meaningless.

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning was named AFC offensive player of the month for an NFL-record seventh time and wide receiver Trindon Holliday earned AFC special-teams player of the month for the first time in his career, the National Football League announced Thursday.

This marks the first time in team history that two Broncos have received conference player-of-the-month honors in the same month.

Manning completed 117-of-156 passes (75.0 percent) for 1,470 yards with 16 touchdowns and no interceptions (138.0 rating) in the month of September while leading Denver to a 4-0 start for the seventh time in team history. He led the NFL in nearly every passing category in September with his 16 touchdowns — representing the most by a player in league history through four games.

For the second time in three weeks, Denver’s Peyton Manning has been named the AFC’s Offensive Player of the Week.

The NFL informed the Broncos of the honor Wednesday morning. Manning went 32-of-37 in his team’s Week Three victory over the Raiders, throwing three touchdown passes. His 12 touchdown passes in the season’s first three weeks set an NFL record. Manning also has yet to throw a single interception in 2013.

This marks the 25th time Manning has received these honors and the 50th time a Broncos player has done so. No player in NFL history has earned more conference player of the week awards than Manning.

Broncos wide receiver Trindon Holliday was named the AFC’s special teams player of the week on Wednesday, the team announced. Holliday scored an 81-yard touchdown on a punt return during Sunday’s game against the Giants, and he finished the afternoon with 121 yards on punt returns.

With Sunday’s touchdown, Holliday now has five special-teams return scores in just 19 career games. He trails just Rick Upchurch for the most special-teams return scores in Broncos history.

Holliday also was recognized with this same honor during Week 9 of 2012, and this recognition marks the 24th time a Bronco has been named AFC special teams player of the week.

Nicki Jhabvala is a Broncos beat writer for The Denver Post. She was previously the digital news editor for sports. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor. She also spent two years as a home page editor at the New York Times.